On Monday, Chamber staff hours were reduced to part-time. We will continue to monitor our emails and phone calls and get back to you as soon as we can. Our priority is making sure that you have the information and resources needed to help you through this difficult time. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if we can be of assistance. We are in this together.

URGENT: CARES ACT Funding Update

As of this morning, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, including the EIDL Advance, has allocated all available funds and will no longer accept applications. Borrowers who have received emails stating their EIDL was approved, will still receive their loans, some EIDL Advances currently in the system may still be funded.

Likewise, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan is extremely close to being out of funds and it is anticipated that the application portal will be closing soon. These programs will remain closed until they are refunded by Congress.

New PA Order Providing

Worker Safety Measures to Combat COVID-19

Governor Tom Wolf announced yesterday that Dr. Rachel Levine, under her authority as Secretary of the Department of Health to take any disease control measure appropriate to protect the public from the spread of infectious disease, signed an order directing protections for critical workers who are employed at businesses that are authorized to maintain in-person operations during the COVID-19 disaster emergency.

Among other things, this order requires all customers to wear masks while on premises, and orders businesses to deny entry to individuals not wearing masks, unless the business is providing medication, medical supplies, or food, in which case the business must provide alternative methods of pick-up or delivery of goods.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in enforcement action that could include citations, fines, or license suspensions. Compliance with the order will be enforced beginning Sunday, April 19 at 8:00 PM.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Launches Fund with Vistaprint to Support Small Business Recovery in Economically Vulnerable Communities

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, with founding partner Vistaprint, has launched the Save Small Business Fund, a grant program to provide assistance to small business owners impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Funded by contributions from corporate and philanthropic partners, the Foundation will distribute $5,000 grants to small employers in economically vulnerable communities in the United States and its territories.

In partnership with Verizon, the digital fundraising and advocacy platform Hello Aliceis offering emergency grants of up to $10,000 for companies impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Google is offering $340 million in advertising grants for small- and medium-size businesses, a credit that will be added automatically to Google Ads accounts.

Verizon has allocated $5 million to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to distribute via grants to small businesses. The first round of grant applications is closed but will reopen in mid-April, and you can register to be notified on their website.

GoFundMe has partnered with Intuit QuickBooks, Yelp, GoDaddy, and Bill.com to give small businesses a $500 grant if they raise at least $500 on GoFundMe.

The James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit advocate for the food industry, is fundraising for food and beverage businesses right now and has a sign-up to be notified when the application is live.

Support for those in the restaurant industry who have been impacted by the Covid-19 closures. Click here for more information.

PHEAA Deadline Extended

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has been reviewing the impact of COVID-19 on students as it relates to the PA State Grant Program. In order to give students and families more flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, PHEAA’s Board of Directors also acted to extend the May 1 PA State Grant application deadline by 2 weeks to May 15 for the 2020-21 Academic Year.To apply for a PA State Grant, applicants must first complete the 2020-21 FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Applicants can access this form online at pheaa.org/FAFSA or fafsa.gov.

Verizon Launches PayItForward

Verizon recently launched #PayItForwardLIVE, a weekly livestream from big names to pay it forward for small businesses. Viewers can tune in every Tuesday and Thursday at 8PM ET/ 5PM PT on @Verizon’s Twitter, Yahoo, Twitch, and Fios Channel 501. As people support their favorite small businesses with #PayItForwardLIVE, Verizon will commit an additional $10 per use of the hashtag, up to $2.5 million, for a total of up to $5 million in support.

Thursday, April 16

3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern

The next installment of Path Forward is focused on a critical component of the effort to get America back to work: Testing.

Speakers will discuss the importance of swift and accurate COVID-19 tests to the economy, the barriers employers must overcome, and what we can learn from other parts of the world.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans of up to $2 million for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of COVID-19. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has allocated $350 billion to help small businesses keep workers employed amid the pandemic and economic downturn. Known as the Paycheck Protection Program, the initiative provides 100% federally guaranteed loans to eligible small businesses during this time.